MATLAB AND SIMULINK LABORATORY – A BASIS FOR LEARNING REAL CONTROL APPLICATIONS

A laboratory for teaching computer programming and engineering concepts related to control applications was recently established in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics at the Ariel University Center of Samaria. The new laboratory provides hands-on experience in the design of control systems used in different fields of engineering. The lab offers an excellent introduction to programming concepts and research concepts that are often troublesome for the undergraduates. This paper describes the general approach and practical application of MATLAB and Simulink in the frame of a laboratory for teaching control. The main aim of the laboratory is to help students gain a deep understanding of typical problems in control applications. Students prepare codes in MATLAB and Simulink, based on knowledge acquired in a preliminary course on the theory of control. These codes are further used to investigate and design various control systems. In this way, control lab assignments with models of various physical processes are performed.